Ski sled



y 5, 1953 G. F. LANTRY 2,637,565

SKI SLED Filed Sept. 16, 1949 INVENTOR. GERALD AA/VTEY A 77' ORA/E Y Patented May 5, 1 953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

1 This invention relates to improvements in sleds and skis and in particular to an improved device having a single runner ski flexibly connected for sidewise steering motion to a double runner sled.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a ski sled having improved balance between the ski sled portion and the hand grips for lifting the ski sled and running and coasting with same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a forewardly cantilevered, vertically stable, laterally flexible member extendng from the sled portion to the ski portion for connecting the ski and sled portions together so that the ski portion may be used in steering.

Another object of the invention is to provide a double runner sled with the runners positioned laterally opposite one another and spaced apart to give the invention sidewise stability.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side eevational view of the ski sled of the invention showing the center of gravity located directly below the hand grips as indicated by the downwardly disposed arrow.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the invention showing the steering action of the ski in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the ski taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line B-6 of Fig. 1 showing the attachment between the steering column, the sleeve-leg, the ski, and the ski reinforcing rib.

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the pose of illustration comprises a foot platform [0,

laterally spaced runners ll positioned beneath said platform and attached at their upwardly curved foreward ends to the foreward end of the platform ID in supporting relation thereto and curving downwardly and outwardly and rearwardly from the point of att'achment,a forked 2 brace attached at its center in supporting relation midway of said platform Ill, and, at the brace ends M, in supported relation to said runners i l rearwardly of their upwardly curved foreward portions so that said runners cantilever flexibly rearwardly of said brace l2; a forewardly cantilevered, vertically rigid, laterally flexible connecting member I6 secured to said platform I0 at the front thereof and at the connection of the said brace l2 thereto, and at the foreward portion of said platform Ii], a sleeve I! having rearwardly extending flanges 18 formed integral therewith secured to the foreward end of said connecting member IS, a downwardly depending leg [9 on said sleeve, a steering column 2t positioned within said sleeve I! and extending downwardly to the end of said leg IS, a ski 24 having its foreward upwardly curving end 22 positioned between the leg l9 and said steering column 20 and its other end cantilevering flexibly rearwardly, a hollow reinforcing rib 22 secured to said ski 2| and enclosing the downwardly depending end of said steering column 20 in the area of the upwardly curving end of said ski 2| bolts 23 securing together said downwardly depending leg IQ of said sleeve ll, said steering column 20, said ski 2i, and said rib 22; rigidly secured handle bars 24 mounted on the upper end of said steering column 20, and hand grips 25 on said handle bars 24 having their centers located directly over the longitudinal center of gravity of the entire device.

The top of the platform I0 is equipped with upwardly coned, centrally apertured bosses 26 for contacting the shoe of the user to provide means for preventing the users foot from slipping off the platform l0 and the grips 25 are serrated on their surface to aid the user in grasping same.

The platform It! bears the weight of the user which is in turn borne by the forked brace l2, the runners l I, and the connecting member 16, which connecting member, in addition to bearing weight under certain conditions of use, such as over rough ground, also prevents the sad from nosing over forewardly, while the rearwardly cantilevering runners ll prevent the sled from tipping rearwardly and also provide flexible ground or snow contact.

The handle bars 24 bear that portion of the users weight which he places on his bands, which weight is in turn borne by the steering column 20, the ski 2| together with its ribbed reinforcement 22, and, under certain conditions of use, the connecting member It. As the ski 2i cantilevers flexibly rearwardly it also provides flexible ground or snow contact.

Steering the ski sled is accomplished by turning the handle bars 24 in the well known manner of the bicycle to either right or left as indi-- cated by the dotted lines of Fig. 2. The turning motion of the handle bars 24 is transferred via the steering column to the ski 2| and this motion is accomplished by means of the connecting member l6 which is laterally flexible. In turning, the pivot point of the ski is adjacent its foreward point of ground contact which thrusts the rearwardly cantilevering portion of the ski sidewise in the well known manner of the skier in turn- When the ski sled is used in hill coasting, the user places one, or preferably both feet on the platform It and coasts down the hill and steers the device by means of the handle bars 24 and shifting his weight and in this manner he can negotiate around obstacles or follow a trail of path. Due to the flexibly cantilevered runners II and the flexibly cantilevered Ski 2|, rough areas can be overrun without upset or jarring of the user.

As hill coasting is not always available to persons desiring to sport in the snow, the ski sled I of the invention is designed and constructed that the user may run with the ski sled by carrying it by the hand grips 25 and so that he may set the ski sled down while running and leap upon the platform Ii and coast out the momentum of the combined moving weight of his body and the ski sled. This is an important element of the invention and it is made possible by balancing the device with its longitudinal center of gravity beneath the center of the hand grips 25.

Due to this element of balance, when the user picks up the ski sled by the hand grips 25, the device hangs balanced beneath the hand grips 25 and neither noses forwardly nor rearwardly and the device remains balanced while the user is running and as he places the ski sled upon the ground prior to leaping aboard. Obviously, the ski sled is steered and controlled after the user has leaped aboard in the same manner as in hill coasting.

The general proportions and relationship of the ski, sled, steering column and hand grips indicated in the drawing and described herein are desirable for the proper functioning of the device in running and leaping aboard as it is essential that the device be balanced beneath the ha'nd grips so that when lifted by the user it will remain parallel to the ground enabling the user to again place the device flatly upon the ground without either the front ski or the rear sled slapping down after the other part has con tacted the ground.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, detail, and arrangements of the elements of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim: H M

1. A ski sled comprising a foot platform, runners positioned beneath said platform and attached at their upwardly curved foreward ends to said platform in supporting relation thereto, braces secured to said runners at a point permitting the rear portion of the said runners to flex upwardly and secured to said platform in supporting relation thereto, a laterally flexible connecting member secured to said platform, a sleeve secured to the foreward end of said connecting member, a steering column positioned within said sleeve, a ski having its forewardupwardly curving end disposed in overlapping relation with said sleeve, means securing together said sleeve, said ski, and said steering column,means mounted on the upper end of said steering column for axially oscillating same, and hand grips on said means positioned at such a point as to place the hand grips in the vertical plane of the center of gravity of the entire skisled so that the ski sled when lifted by the hand grips remains balahead in a horizontal plane.

2. A ski sled comprising a foot platform, laterally spaced runners positioned beneath said platform and attached at their upwardly curved foreward ends to the foreward end of said platform in supporting relation thereto, said runners curving rearwardly from their point of attachment to said platform and terminating in flat, cantilevered, flexible ground contacting portions, a forked brace having depending ends resting on and secured to said runners adjacent their centers and secured in its elevated central area to said platform in supporting relation thereto, a laterally flexible connecting member secured to said platform, a sleeve secured to the foreward end of said connecting member, a steering column positioned within said sleeve and depending therewith, a vertically flexible, rearwardly cantilevered ski having its foreward upwardly curving end disposed in overlapping relation with said sleeve, and means securing said sleeve, said ski, and said steering column together.

3. A ski sled comprising a foot platform, laterally spaced runners positioned beneath said platform and attached at their upwardly curved foreward ends to the foreward end of said platform in supporting relation thereto, said runners curving downwardly and outwardly and rearwardly from their point of attachment to said platform and terminating in flat, cantilevered, flexible ground contacting portions, a forked brace having depending ends resting on and's'ecured to said runners adjacent their center and secured in its elevated central area to said plat form in supporting relation thereto, a for'ewar'dly cantilevered, vertically rigid, laterally flexible connecting member secured to said platform, a sleeve, rearwardly extending flanges on said sleeve secured to the foreward end of said connecting member, a downwardly depending leg on said sleeve, a steering column positioned within said sleeve and depending co-extensively with said leg, a vertically flexible, rearwardly cantilevered ski having its foreward upwardly curving end disposed between said leg and said column, a hollow reinforcing rib attached to said ski forming a channel which encloses the depending end of said steering column, means securing said leg, said ski, said steering column, and said rib together, handle bars mounted on the upper end of said steering column, and hand grips on said handle bars positioned at such a point as to place the hand grips on the vertical plane of the center of gravity of the entire ski sled so that the'ski sled when lifted by the hand grips remains balanced in a horizontal plane.

GERALD F. LANTRY.

References Cited in the flleof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

